Girl Talk with Stacy Baum

Ever think about incorporating philanthropy in your business plan? You know, a charitable aspect. So many of us want to, but don’t know how to. Enter Ms. Stacy Baum, an entrepreneur that helps small businesses take the guesswork and grunt work out of philanthropy by developing philanthropy planning strategies. In her entrepreneurial life, she’s pushed through trial & error and has learned NOT to sweat the small stuff. Easier said then done, am I right ladies?

Love the quirky business name – “Donating Makes Cents’<— See what she did there? Makes sense!! 🙂

What is your story?My name is Stacy Baum. I have a passion for helping connect companies’ philanthropic goals with organizations that need support. This passion has led to the development of my new business, Donating Makes Cents.

I help small businesses take the guesswork and grunt work out of philanthropy. I develop philanthropy planning strategies to maximize the benefits (philanthropic, marketing, and PR) of giving strategically and methodically, and work with companies to discover their unique passions in order to strategically allocate philanthropy resources to make a bigger impact maximize awareness of giving.

I can help your small businesses navigate the Charlotte philanthropy landscape, and help them align their business with the most appropriate causes and organizations in order to save them the time and effort involved in managing the charitable giving process. I love to work with growing companies who want to give back but don’t know how to connect their dollars with the causes and organizations they truly want to give to.

Currently, I am offering substantial discounts on my services offerings, so if your business is ready to invest in your community in a more focused and meaningful way, contact me at Stacy@DonatingMakesCents.com to find out why Donating Makes Cents makes sense for your business.

What is your biggest business motivation? What keeps you going?
A little over 5 years ago, I had a life changing accident, a fainting episode in the middle of the Food Court at SouthPark Mall. I broke my jaw (in several places) and several teeth, resulting in several surgeries, jaw therapy, and dental work that continues to this day. That incident and my very fortunate recovery made me rethink my priorities. I continued to think about how fortunate I was, as I could have fallen on my spine, or had been driving, or my children could have been with me when this happened. My motto became don’t sweat the small stuff, and most of it is really is small stuff.

It became apparent to me that I was doing the wrong thing with my life. I became determined to figure out what the right thing looked like. Through some trial and error with some various short term opportunities and project work, I came to discover what my true passion was. I am a big believer in giving back, and feel strongly that each person (and business) give back in some manner (time, in-kind support, monetary) to a cause that is meaningful to them.
So what is my biggest business motivation?
As I reflect on how fortunate I am to have my health and the love and support from my family and friends, my biggest motivation is the ability to give back and facilitate philanthropy and business growth, by meeting and propelling philanthropically minded business owners, as I help them discover and connect with unique nonprofit organizations who do amazing things to make our Charlotte community a better place.

If you could sprinkle pixie dust on your business, what three things would you change?
As many other (female) entrepreneurs would say, I wish there were more hours in the day to accomplish everything on my to do list each day. Balancing work with household and child rearing and all the other commitments in my life is indeed a challenge. Many days I feel I haven’t accomplished what I set out to. But as difficult as it is, I sincerely try to focus on what I did accomplish and not to be too hard on myself (as we are often our own biggest critic, and most of us would never talk to or critique a colleague like we do ourselves). Lastly, I really try to make an effort to be present in the moment, when I am working, that is my focus, with the family and kids, that is my focus.

So to (try to) succinctly summarize:

Do a better job at optimizing my time, staying on track, and not getting diverted by tasks that less are pressing and relevant to the day’s goals.

Continue my focus and remind myself of the importance of being present, when I am working, being present there, when I am with my kids and family, being present there.

Continue to work on not being self-critical and truly recognizing what I am accomplishing and achieving by keeping my eye on my goals and overall mission.

What is one piece of advice you’d like to share with other female entrepreneurs?
If you have an idea you are passionate about, start to talk to people about it (a lot of people). Stick with it, develop it, flesh it out, get advice and help where you are lacking the experience (and even where you think you have the experience), and find mentors and women who will talk to you and can really help you. Starting and developing a business is a process that won’t happen over night. (I know, I am not there yet.) But if it is truly something that you are passionate about, work hard, solicit and listen to advice, and give it time.